# Experiences with Pipes & Cigars Tobacco Club?



## beercritic (Feb 13, 2011)

Looks like a pretty good deal, 2 tins, one pouch & 2 oz bulk tobacco. And a cob pipe. $20/ month. First month an additional $5. Free shipping.

I'm not about to quit cigars, but this looks like a pretty good way to cut the cost of smoking. Sampled 5 blends this morning. Liked them all.

Pipes & Cigars Pipe Tobacco of the Month Club. Anyone try this, yet?

I see a future with a few bowls early in the day & a stick or two in the evening. Fewer cigars smoked = more resting time & being able to afford better cigars.

Thanks!


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

I did it for all of one month. I did the "double down", so I got two pouches of an OTC blend (Troost that month), a few tins of a H&H blend, and 4 oz of Russ' monthly bulk blend. All reasonable tobacco for the price. The cobs however were extraordinarily cheap, made in China, POS pipes that I am reserving for use if I ever decide to smoke while cleaning a septic tank. If you want to try new stuff and enjoy being surprised, I'd say it's a winner. I on the other hand decided that while I enjoy a wide swath of blends, I prefer to pick what I get, even if it is a cheap price.


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## tmoran (Mar 25, 2014)

I got started on the pipe by trying to cut back on costs, and now I smoke a pipe 99% of the time, so I certainly agree with the sentiment.

The price isn't bad, but I've always been skeptical of these types of things. It's a good way to sample a lot of different tobacco, but you also have to consider the tobaccos you are getting. In all likelihood, and the only way this deal works for the distributor, you are getting stuff they are looking to get rid of because it is not selling. For $25 you could get a cob and two tins of your choosing, or a cob and three or four pouches, or a cob, a pouch, a tin, and some bulk. I would personally rather get less tobacco, but get to choose what I am getting. YMMV.

ETA: Looks like Tobias beat me to it.


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## beercritic (Feb 13, 2011)

I'm not concerned with the pipes they include. I have 7 or 8 decent pipes from flea markets & estates. I have a dozen or so more tobacco to sample before I'll start accumulating more. Get a fair idea what I like and dislike, then seek out more opinions, once I have a better grasp on things. 

A few decades ago, I really liked Amphora Blue. Still have a few tins of it *somewhere.*


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## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Someone over on one of the Facebook pipe groups showed what they got about a month ago, and the pouches were both Borkum Riff. :twitch:

The best way to go economy class on P&C is to have a pound of "Best of the Rest" shipped to you every month. At 14.95/lb it's the best deal ever. And every pound is a unique blend.
Best of the Rest - PipesandCigars.com


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## Branzig (Jul 14, 2013)

Whenever I feel a PAD attack coming on or there are a couple new tobaccos I really want to sample, I try to get a couple fellas together and do a group buy.

You ditch the shipping that way, and we all sample what each other gets usually too. I realize this isn't always possible for everyone, but if you have some buds nearby who enjoy the pipes, it is a great way to do things.

It would be harder but not impossible to do something similar on here if you got a group of guys together...almost like a group buy-then-pass thing. :hmm:


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

cpmcdill said:


> Someone over on one of the Facebook pipe groups showed what they got about a month ago, and the pouches were both Borkum Riff. :twitch:
> 
> The best way to go economy class on P&C is to have a pound of "Best of the Rest" shipped to you every month. At 14.95/lb it's the best deal ever. And every pound is a unique blend.
> Best of the Rest - PipesandCigars.com


Thanks for sharing that Christopher! I have never noticed that before. I am going to try a pound of it.


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

Branzig said:


> Whenever I feel a PAD attack coming on or there are a couple new tobaccos I really want to sample, I try to get a couple fellas together and do a group buy.
> 
> You ditch the shipping that way, and we all sample what each other gets usually too. I realize this isn't always possible for everyone, but if you have some buds nearby who enjoy the pipes, it is a great way to do things.
> 
> It would be harder but not impossible to do something similar on here if you got a group of guys together...almost like a group buy-then-pass thing. :hmm:


What is a PAD attack?


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## El wedo del milagro (Jul 3, 2012)

haebar said:


> Thanks for sharing that Christopher! I have never noticed that before. I am going to try a pound of it.


I'd think twice about that, Tab.

I've seen a lot of folks post their regrets about "best of the rest" purchases. The "best of the rest is a mix of any and EVERY scrap of left over tobacco at the end of the day. It might be a good deal for someone with no taste buds and a big nicotine jones.

The way I look at it is: Pipe tobacco is so much cheaper than cigars and cigarettes, that there is no reason for pipe smokers to smoke anything less than the finest tobacco's.


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## El wedo del milagro (Jul 3, 2012)

PAD: Pipe Acquisition Disorder.

A made up mental disorder to make us feel better about our compulsion to buy beautiful new pipes that we want, but don't need.


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

El wedo del milagro said:


> I'd think twice about that, Tab.
> 
> I've seen a lot of folks post their regrets about "best of the rest" purchases. The "best of the rest is a mix of any and EVERY scrap of left over tobacco at the end of the day. It might be a good deal for someone with no taste buds and a big nicotine jones.
> 
> .


+1000. True, you're only out ~$15, but that's a couple tins of decent blends :nod:


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## JustTroItIn (Jan 12, 2014)

I tried BOTR back when they had it on sale for $12 a pound. What I received definitely had a fair amount of aromatic tobacco (my guess is most of it was Lane). While it's not terrible, it is also not great. I have already given away 1/2 pound.


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

El wedo del milagro said:


> I'd think twice about that, Tab.
> 
> I've seen a lot of folks post their regrets about "best of the rest" purchases. The "best of the rest is a mix of any and EVERY scrap of left over tobacco at the end of the day. It might be a good deal for someone with no taste buds and a big nicotine jones.
> 
> The way I look at it is: Pipe tobacco is so much cheaper than cigars and cigarettes, that there is no reason for pipe smokers to smoke anything less than the finest tobacco's.


Mark,

You're absolutely right. I read some other reviews/comments about the "Best of the Rest" and decided not to purchase any. Even if you were to luck up and get a fairly tolerable batch, you'd never know how to recreate it or what the next one would be like.


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

El wedo del milagro said:


> PAD: Pipe Acquisition Disorder.
> 
> A made up mental disorder to make us feel better about our compulsion to buy beautiful new pipes that we want, but don't need.


Thanks, I've been suffering from that the last few weeks, with rapid cycling to TAD and back.


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

Well, I joined the P&T Tobacco Club this evening. The element of surprise was the biggest factor in my decision. The suspense of it has me going, like a kid at Christmas. I figure that I will at least break even in terms of oz./$ and I can always stop whenever I want to.


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## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

haebar said:


> Thanks for sharing that Christopher! I have never noticed that before. I am going to try a pound of it.


Glad to see some others have steered you away from it. When I posted the original comment back in April my sentiments about BOTR were generally positive, but here in November I find my tobacco cellar burdened with 2 lbs of junk I have no desire to smoke. What on the surface seems like a great deal is actually a gamble -- sometimes you get lucky, but if you keep playing losses are inevitable.


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## Gigmaster (Jan 12, 2009)

I've been in the club for a few months now. It's great for learning about different blends. I would like it better if they didn't throw those cheap Chinese corn cob pipes in every shipment. I have over a dozen Missouri Meerschaums, and will never smoke these cheap copies. Don't get me wrong...they are perfectly smokable, but far below MMs quality. I think it would be better if they just threw in a pack of pipe cleaners, or something useful. 

I'd recommend the club for anyone who is searching for the special blends that will satisfy them.


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

Gigmaster said:


> I've been in the club for a few months now. It's great for learning about different blends. I would like it better if they didn't throw those cheap Chinese corn cob pipes in every shipment. I have over a dozen Missouri Meerschaums, and will never smoke these cheap copies. Don't get me wrong...they are perfectly smokable, but far below MMs quality. I think it would be better if they just threw in a pack of pipe cleaners, or something useful.
> 
> I'd recommend the club for anyone who is searching for the special blends that will satisfy them.


Thanks for the input. I agree on the cheap Chinese corncobs; I'd rather get something else each month, like a pipe tool, etc. The local tobacco store has those pipes for sale for $5! The bore chamber is way too small.
They shipped my first package late last week; looking forward to opening it up and getting surprised!


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